Alastor
Silva Nordica ()
Wydane przez Ashen ProductionsRok wydania Kraj AustriaNapisał Wouter5
Traditional black metal from Austria in the vein of (early) Mayhem and Dark Funeral. It holds all the traits of a debut album. The songwriting is fairly standard for the genre, adhering to the precedents set by the Scandinavian progenitors. Delivery and execution are more than acceptable, but the the album tends to drag around the middle due to the lack of any stand out tracks. Alastor hardly excels at any point and the lack of adventureous songwriting and arrangements make "Silva Nordica" a typical underground black metal album. That is not to say that the record isn't without its merits. Alastor are masters in recreating the grim and oppressive atmosphere of early '90s Norwegian black metal. The fact that they hail from Austria and released this record in 2006 instead of 1996 makes it feel awfully dated to contemporary standards. The production is expectedly barren with a buzzsaw guitar sound and a cold drum tone. Artwork, design and lay-out follow the genre textbook and are in the typical black-white that remains protocol in the underground. Generally speaking "Silva Nordica" dutifully fulfils its intended purpose but doesn't stand out in any way and doesn't invite repeated listens. People who like their black metal wintry cold, rather primitive and without an inch of individuality will find much to like on this record.
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